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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — steady
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — decided
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com